If we thought pet enthusiasts couldn't get more bizarre then we were wrong because Purina just broadened the landscape. On the Toronto-based Talking Pets mini-site, pet owners can further distance themselves from the rest of humankind by sending "purr/woof mail," posting pictures of their furry friends and even gauging their Pet IQ's.

"It's unique in that it approaches the world from a pet's perspective," explains Christina Yu, VP and Creative Director at Lowe Roche. To be honest we're not too sure the local siberian husky would be receptive to having his grin admired and emotions dissected over the internet, but whatever. Purina knows better than we do. - Contributed by Angela Natividad

Bill Green points us to yet another entry in the increasingly popular Geico Caveman saga. In this latest commercial, our caveman friend is subjected to unfeeling, uncaring news anchors who frustrate the poor guy even further. He's got a nice rant in the middle of the spot though. Bill also tells us there's another clip that appears to be a movie trailer for the campaign. We don't know if these will sell any insurance but we cerainly are entertained by them.

Beyond Madison Avenue has examined two recent AIDS campaigns. The first, an LA-based campaign which carries the headline "HIV is a gay disease" is causing a stir but if those causing the stir would just read the body copy, they'd know that's not entirely what the ad's saying. The second, a German campaign, carries a racier tone typical of many European ads and cites, "It's easy to lose your head when your horny." Oh, the double (or is it triple) meaning there is just gold.

While fast forwarding through something on the DVR last night, we saw what looked like claymation character so we rewound to realize it was a new commercial called Half Baked from Ben and Jerry's. Its one of four in a series, created by Amalgamated and animated by LAIKA/house, that "claymates" ice cream flavors into characters. Shawn Waite isn't sure he likes the literal translation of the spots but we don't like to think too deeply about the topic of ice cream so we're just fine with their simplicity. If anything, they're quite different than ice cream advertising that has come before. Check the commercial out here, here, here and here.

The American Legacy Foundation, fresh out of its legal battles with the tobacco industry and in partnership with Arnold Worldwide, and Crispin Porter + Bogusky, has launched a new campaign entitled Infect Truth. The campaign consists of TV spots - airing on MTV, Comedy Central, G4 Tech TV, BET and others - and print as well as a host of digital elements including "Infections" in the form of screensavers, video, desktop themes, games and stickers all filled with juicy facts such as cigarettes containing sodium hydroxide, the same ingredient found in hair removal products. An email widget also allows people to send message written in back hair.

Seattle, home to Seattle Grace, McDreamy, McSteamy and...oh wait...that's the TV show. Though just like the show, the real Seattle likes to make up words too and has defined itself as Metronatural, a sort of mash-up representing the Seattle metro area's close proximity to vast, natural wilderness. No doubt, this word will get much play in the media and we can't wait for New York-based Gawker's take on it seeing as New York is/was home to the Metrosexual. Anyway, we're told this bit of brilliance is the result of a year's work. Seattle-based agency Exclaim is to be blamed...uh...credited with creating the concept which will, we're told, be plastered all over the world as part of a worldwide publicity campaign.

"You Stank!" Or rather, "No Stank You!" is the rallying cry in a Washington State Health Department ant-smoking campaign that focuses on the negative social and cosmetic aspects of smoking. With lots of weird videos, interviews, TV spots, radio spots and a huge collection of downloadable, spreadable messages, the campaign is way more fun that the TRUTH campaign by far. Scare tactics ain't everything my friends. This one works.

- HP's "Personality Profile" in which profiles NCLS players cuts a bit too close the company's "profiling" company executives and journalists.

- Ariel, and all of us here at the "what the fuck is up with all this web 2.0 shit?" Adrants offices, wonders why two grown men spent almost an entire month bitching about giving proper "link love" and why they thought anyone would care.

- Boston-based dairy Hood just launched two :15s, created by VIA which you can view here.

- Marketers are stepping up efforts to plant ads in decoy files found on questionably legal peer to peer sharing sites.

- George Parker says of the new Lexmark campaign which has placed printers in public places, "I don't need a fucking printer in the middle of the Santa Monica freeway."

- One of the largest advertising discussion group lists, i-advertising has relaunched. Check it out.

We all know how closely politics is tied to sex. Using that interviews-out-of-context trick with a bunch of television actresses, this PSA plays on the gutter our dirty little minds like to visit when we hear the phrase "doing it." Then it pulls the punchline that of course none of us knew was coming by encouraging us to get out and vote.

Clever. We guess. Though we echo Adfreak's sentiment that there'll probably be little to get all creamed about come November 2008. - Contributed by Angela Natividad